Description

These chewy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies combine the rich flavors of autumn pumpkin and warm pumpkin spice with melty chocolate chunks to create a perfect soft and chewy treat. The unique use of browned butter adds a deep, nutty aroma, making these cookies irresistibly delicious and ideal for fall baking.

Ingredients

Scale

Wet Ingredients

1 cup cold unsalted butter
2/3 cup Libby’s Pumpkin Puree (room temperature)
2 large egg yolks (room temperature)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

1 2/3 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Sugars

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar (packed)

Additional

1 cup finely chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set aside to prepare for baking the cookies.
Brown Butter: In a large stainless steel pan, melt the cold unsalted butter over medium heat. Stir occasionally as it foams and crackles, watching closely until it turns golden brown and releases a nutty aroma with brown bits forming. Remove from heat promptly and scrape the browned butter into a glass measuring bowl. Refrigerate for 50-60 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes until the butter cools to 75°F but remains liquid.
Dry Pumpkin Puree: Spread the pumpkin puree thinly on a plate. Using paper towels, press repeatedly to absorb extra moisture until the pumpkin feels dry and dough-like, measuring approximately 1/3 cup (75 grams).
Cream Sugars and Butter: Whisk the cooled browned butter together with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar for exactly 1 minute until the mixture looks pale and sandy in texture.
Add Egg Yolks and Vanilla: Incorporate the egg yolks, vanilla extract, and the dried pumpkin puree into the butter and sugar mixture. Whisk until the batter is smooth and well combined.
Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Chocolate: Gently fold in the all-purpose flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, fine sea salt, and finely chopped chocolate pieces until just combined to avoid overmixing, which can toughen the cookies.
Form Cookies: Using a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out dough and roll between palms to form balls. Place the dough balls on the prepared baking trays about 2-3 inches apart. For larger chocolate pools, press bigger chocolate chunks on top before baking. Yield should be about 15 cookies.
Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies one tray at a time for 9-13 minutes until the edges are golden brown but the centers remain slightly underbaked to ensure chewiness. Immediately after removing from oven, use a large round cookie cutter to gently push the edges inward to create thick, perfectly round cookies. Cool completely on wire racks before removing from trays.
Storage: Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. The cookie dough balls can be refrigerated or frozen; allow refrigerated dough to come to room temperature for about 1 hour and frozen dough for about 2 hours before baking.

Notes

Ensure butter is cooled but still liquid after browning to properly cream with sugars.
Drying the pumpkin puree prevents excess moisture which could make cookies cakey instead of chewy.
Using only egg yolks adds richness and chewiness without excess moisture.
Do not overmix dough once dry ingredients are added to maintain tender cookies.
Pressing edges after baking creates uniform, thick cookie shapes.
Dough can be prepared ahead and stored refrigerated or frozen for convenience.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: pumpkin cookies, chocolate chip cookies, chewy cookies, fall baking, browned butter cookies, pumpkin spice cookies